Universal mower hitch



vApril 11, 195o L, WEBER TAL 2,503,696

UNIVERSAL MOWER HITCH BY( @l April 1L 1950 1 l.. WEBER l-:TAL 2,503,696

y UNIVERSAL MOWER HITCH Filed March 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheety 2 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 asustan', omvmvsmluownmnrrcnf Louisfls). Wbcr,fT!iomas 'E Kling, and' Thomas. Einklang-Cincinnati, Ohio;y assignors-ito: The"A Imdgemnd-iShipleyiGompanm.Gincinnatn Ohio;A atcorporationofthio H motor l mount,4 indicated at? I6,.mayfberam1 integral 'part of? algardc'any tractor.' For. purposesf ofclarty, the motorl and other'A parts'lof .the :t'xfa'cl tor'have been' omitted lfrom the`d1`-awirlgueA Ihrtli'e illustrated motonmount, two pairs -ofihalf-roomd;t

#grooves` I I'and'l'l 8 arefshown'asalternatelocation@ `formountingfa mowerfib'ar'i; each pair of'grooves'1 Ti-iesel-andotherf'objectsandadvantages are.'4V

attainedby- 'the means-described m the following; speci'ations and" illustrated?. upon.. the: accom# partying drawings; in'l whilcm:

Fig. -1- isalwplamviewfofl a lawn mowerfequippew; with` tlie Vdevieefefthe.flmesent 4inventi'eml Fig. 3 is an e111argedlperspectivefviexwofiafhtcm clamp, l which forms parte of tlier inventiom'.

Tlpresent inventiomprovides'as-sirnple, duraliiefand inexpenstvexmeans fon'attaohingrai-ooiw ventional hemd; drivemlmwnl: mower: toi: ae power genden, tractor" orf" their lii'ef.:A It@ will; be"- tmmcraavantageousitoxashomeowneiforgardener wha-wishes to: utilize: afhandmowerbyl attach-1- mgsit to. a rgard'ni.traetorthereby 'sen/fing.ftl'zefcostfy of! afpowervl'afwmmowerr. will.; begshown, thef 244k deviizeeof.^tha-imentionlisfarlaarltedmolensgageroomh 'wientional reeltypelawn'mowers-of variousewidthss sndstyles, .making-tinnnecessaryeioz;agardenerf towbuyfbothatractor and! aepowerf mower; since;- itfisasimple-matter; .with this; devieaztomakeluse of; ae-hand mowerr whioh. he Imight'fhave. owned;V previously-tol=the puroh'asaof 'the trauten.

leferring..tomligr .1, ,ILgenerally`- indcate'sLazlawn mowenhaving '.t'racton.wheels:;6xotatableon side ftamest'l-,-.said framesncludnggsuitable; gearing.;

the stationary cutter bar'to produceeasiearing; action ongrassand otherfvegetationi as tremower imovedfrwardloven saidvegetation Alr'oller- 'belngfinaxial' alignment.: The groovesII andi pend from the plate portion. IGBTIoITtIxe' motori' mount'at .opposite ends" thereof, ,afs'lshown upon'v Fig* 1. Aas'wiil be understood, thefupstanding WalllI SC- provid'slthemeans of 5seen-ring the motor mountto a traotor'framei Tliemower'iiar I9', which may be off'sui'cienti length to accommodate lawn mowers'offsub'stan tla1"wdth; lsf attached to the" motor mount"I Iby mea-ns of bol-ts IBI' ir'1s'erted"=v throughl b'oredv` apen tures 2-i`in1themotor mount and registering' aper-Vrh tures -in the mower bar I9, said bar being-disposed- Z'Sfthreadd'into' a' cooperating` apertr'ell in the:

round hole 35 in the side bracket 32 is adapted to engage a single round lug pivot I3 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, whereas the trapezoidal hole 36 is adapted to engage the double lugged type or angular form of mower handle mount (not illustrated). The side bracket or bar 32 is further provided with a series of holes 3'I along its length, between the round hole '35 and the trapezoidal hole 36, the two outer holes of any group of three adjacent holes 31 being in register with the squared apertures 34 in the hitch clampv From the foregoing explanation, it is obvious that mounting a hand driven lawn mower on a tractor is a very simple matter'when the device of the present invention is used. The mower bar It is to be understood that various structural 'modifications and changes may be made within y the scope of the appended claims, without depart- I9 is anchored to the motor mount I6 by means of the bolts 20, being disposed in that pair of halfround grooves II or I8 best suited to the mower` being used. A hitch clamp 22 is then slipped over eachend of the mower bar I9, but not tightened or clamped thereon until later. Assuming that the original handle of the mower has been removed, one side bar or bracket 32 is positioned to engage a mower handle mounting lug I3 by means of the aperture 35, orif the mower is the type requiring the trapezoidal hole 36 for proper mounting, that end of the side bracket is engaged with the handle mounting lug. Selecting the pair of side bracket holes 37 best suited to the particular mower being used, the side bracket is then secured to the hitch clamp 22 by means of the bolts 33, the flat side of the bracket abutting the mounting face or seat 3I of the hitch clamp 22. This process is duplicated with the other side bracket, it being understood of course, that the two side brackets 32 will be in alignment.

The clamping bolt 28 in each hitch clamp 22 is then tightened to cause the lsaid clamps to firmly grip the mower bar I9, and, to preclude possible rotation of the hitch clamps on the mower bar, the set screws 29 are also tightened. The lawn mower is then ready to function as it is advanced forward by the tractor to which it is attached.

To disengage the lawn mower from the tractor requires only the removal of the two bolts 29 which anchor the mower bar I S to the kmotor mount I6. Once assembled, as hereinbefore-described, the universal mower hitch may remain a permanent part of the lawn mower, ready` for future use by the simple expedient of attaching the mower to the tractor by means of the two bolts 20.

As is obvious from a study of the drawings, `the device is capable of various adjustments, making it possible to use various sizes and types oflawnl mowers. mower at a point most advantageous in the operation of the tractor. For instance, the mower bar I9 may be disposed within the rearward pair of grooves I8 instead of the forward pair I 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus bringing the mower closer to the tractor -andreducing the leverage necessary in turning the tractor in the course of mowing a lawn. As will be understood, the operator. of the'tractor,` in making a turn to reverse direction for instance, simply-raises ,the tractor handles sufficiently to bring the tractor wheel out of contact with the lawn surface, the handle mounting lugs I3 acting as the .fulc-rum in this maneuver, while the turn is made on the traction wheels 6 of the mower. The device of the ypresent' invntion providesfor the reduction ofleverquired of an operator in mowing a lawn.

It is also possible to position the lawnl ing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A lawn mower hitch comprising an elongated transverse bar adapted to be coupled to a tractor frame, an angularly adjustable clamp at each end of said bar, means for securing said clamps to the bar, a pair of spaced push bars adapted to engage the handle mounting lugs of a lawn mower, and means for securing said clamps to said push-bars at pre-selected points in the lengths thereof.

2. In a lawn mower hitch a pair of spaced elon-;

gated push bars adapted to engage the handle mounting lugs of a lawn mower, a pair of hitch clamps, a transverse mower bar mounted in said hitch clamps and adapted to be coupled to a tractor frame, means for adjustably securing said hitch clamps to said push bars, and means for securing said mower bar against rotational and` longitudinal movement in said hitch clamps.

3. An adjustable hitch for attaching a lawn mower to a tractor frame which comprises any elongated cylindrical bar, meansy for attaching said bar to the tractor frame transversely thereof, a pair of split ring clamps slidable lengthwise of said bar and rotatable about said bar, means onv each of said clamps for squeezing the ring to fix the clamp to the transverse bar, each split ring clamp having an outwardly extending tongue attached to the clamp and integral therewith, avv

pair of elongated push bars, an end of each push bar being adapted to be attached to a handle mounting lug of the lawn mower, and meansfor securing said clamps to said push bars at pre-selected points in the lengths thereof.

4. An adjustable hitch for attaching a lawnmower to a tractor frame which comprises an elongated cylindrical bar, lmeans forattaching saidv bar to the tractor frametransversely thereof, a pair of split ring clamps slidable lengthwise of said bar and rotatable about said bar, means' on each of said clamps for squeezing the ring to fix the clampl to the transverse bar, each split ring clamp having an outwardly extending tonguel attached thereto and integral therewith, a pair of elongated push bars, an end of each 'push bar being adapted tobe attached toa handle mounting lug of the lawn mower, each ofsaid tongues'being provided with a pair of spaced openings, each of said push bars bieingprovided with a plurality of spaced openings, the openings in said tongues being adapted for registry with the openings inv said push bars, and bolt means in said openings for holding said clamps in assembled relation with said push bars at pre-selected points n in vthe lengths thereof 5` An adjustable hitchv for attaching a' lawn mower to atractor frame which .comprises an elongated cylindrical bar, means for attaching said bar to the tractor frame transverselyK thereof, a pair of split ring clamps slidable lengthwise of said bar and rotatableabout said bar, means o n eachJoi'said `clamps for squeezing. the' ringlto, iiX the clamp to the transverse bar, each split ring 5 clamp having an outwardly extending tongue attached thereto and integral therewith, a pair of elongated push bars, an end of each push bar being adapted to be attached to a handle mounting lug of the lawn mower, each of said tongues being provided with a pair of spaced openings, each of said push bars being provided with a plurality of spaced openings, the openings in said tongues being adapted for registry with the openings in said push bars, each of said clamps being provided with a shoulder directed toward the openings in the tongue, each of the openings in the tongue being equally spaced from said shoulder, each of said push bars having a straight edge, each of the openings in the push bar being equally spaced from the straight edge, the straight edge of each of the push bars being adapted to substantially abut the shoulder of one of the clamps when the openings in the tongues of the clamps are aligned with openings in the push bars, and bolt means in said openings for holding said clamps in assem- 6 bled relation with said push bars at preselected points in the length thereof.

LOUIS L. WEBER. THOMAS T. KLING. THOMAS L. FRANKEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,597 Gomez Mar. 27, 1923 1,466,802 Nobbs Sept. 4, 1923 1,566,230 Scanlan Dec. 15, 1925 1,625,886 Felton Apr. 26, 1927 1,657,514 Miller J an. 31, 1928 1,768,673 Donald July 1, 1930 1,950,023 Allen Mar. 6, 1934 2,374,533 Fulton Apr. 24, 1945 

